Over the last couple weeks, LeBron James has been questioned as a leader and a player in ways he never has been before. Some of this noise has been earned, some of it overblown. This was always going to be the case as soon as he committed to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, but now that the team is knee-deep in a playoff pursuit, James is snapping back at some of the knocks on his game.
James told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports after beating the New Orleans Pelicans Wednesday night that he’s noticed that criticism, and that some offenses testing him in ways they might not have in years prior, but is welcoming the challenge:
“I mean, every team has the right if they want to single me out defensively.